Communication of insurance claim data

ABSTRACT

Aspects of the invention include methods and systems for a vehicle insurance claim management application which improves communication and streamline tasks between a vehicle repair shop and an insurance company system in three general task groups: assignment (comprising work requests, estimates/photos, and reinspections), financial management, and performance measurement. Aspects of the invention also provide interoperability with different types of estimating systems that do not necessarily follow an industry standard. This interoperability is provided through an adapter module with a claim processing system to communicate with the insurance company system and the vehicle insurance claim management application. The invention is preferably accessed by a user over a computer network such as the Internet, from a remote location such as a vehicle repair shop.

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.14/286,361, filed May 23, 2014, which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 13/728,680, filed Dec. 27, 2012, which is acontinuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/651,885, filed Oct. 15,2012, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/250,325,filed Oct. 13, 2008, issued Nov. 13, 2012 as U.S. Pat. No. 8,311,856,wherein the entire disclosure of each application is herein incorporatedby reference.

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialwhich may be subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent documentor the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and TrademarkOffice patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrightrights whatsoever.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to insurance. More specifically, theinvention provides methods and systems for providing a vehicle insuranceclaim management application (VICMA) that will improve communication andstreamline tasks between a vehicle repair shop and an insurance companyin three general task groups: assignment management (comprising workrequest, estimates/photos, and reinspections), financial management, andperformance measurement. The invention also provides interoperabilitywith different types of repair estimating systems. The invention ispreferably accessed by a user over a computer network such as theInternet.

BACKGROUND

Vehicle repair shops and insurance companies can gain efficiencies andimprove quality of service by interoperating electronically to exchangedata and documents such as repair requests, estimates, photos,authorizations, invoices, and payments. Some claim-handling systems usedby insurance companies can support such interoperability with repairshop systems, known as estimating systems.

An insurer claim-handling system is typically designed to work with aspecific brand of estimating system, thus requiring vehicle repair shopsto use that brand to interoperate with the insurance company. Differentinsurance companies may specify or require the use of differentestimating systems, which means that vehicle repair shops wanting tointeroperate with or perform repairs for two or more insurance companiesmay have to purchase and maintain two or more estimating systems. Thecosts of purchasing, using, training, maintaining, and supportingmultiple systems are inefficient for any vehicle repair shop and can beprohibitive to smaller vehicle repair shops that would otherwise want towork with multiple insurance companies.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following presents a simplified summary of the invention in order toprovide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. Thissummary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is notintended to identify key or critical elements of the invention or todelineate the scope of the invention. The following summary merelypresents some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as aprelude to the more detailed description provided below.

To overcome limitations in the prior art described above, and toovercome other limitations that will be apparent upon reading andunderstanding the present specification, the present invention isdirected to methods and systems for providing a vehicle insurance claimmanagement application (VICMA) that will improve communication andstreamline collaboration between the vehicle repair shop and aninsurance company in three general task groups: assignment management(comprising work requests, estimates/photos, and reinspections),financial management, and performance measurement. The invention alsoprovides interoperability with different types of estimating systems.

A first aspect of the invention provides one or more computer storagemedia storing computer readable instructions that, when executed,provide a vehicle insurance claim management application (VICMA). TheVICMA includes an adapter module which translates data between the VICMAand a vehicle repair estimating system. The VICMA further includes anassignment module that is used by the vehicle repair shop to performfunctions such as: receive assignment data from the insurance companypertaining to a work request submitted to the vehicle repair shop;transfer or pre-load assignment data to a repair estimating system;receive estimate data from the repair estimating system; review estimatedata for compliance with front-end business rules; upload estimate datato an insurance company system to be reviewed for compliance withback-end rules; receive and review reinspection data from the insurancecompany; and update estimate data based on reinspection data.

A second aspect of the invention further includes the above describedaspect of the VICMA with a financial module that stores and providespayment (Electronic Fund Transfer “EFT”) status information for thevehicle repair claims assigned to the vehicle repair shop.

Another aspect of the invention further includes the above describedaspect of the VICMA with a performance module that stores and providesperformance metrics for the vehicle repair shop as compared to othervehicle repair facilities working with the insurance company.

Another aspect of the invention is a method for a vehicle insuranceclaim management application (VICMA). The method comprises a number ofsteps. First, the VICMA receives a set of assignment data from aninsurance company pertaining to a plurality of work requests submittedto the vehicle repair shop. Next, the VICMA transfers the assignmentdata to a vehicle repair estimating system. Next, the VICMA receives aset of estimate data from the vehicle repair estimating system. TheVICMA then translates the assignment data and estimate data between thevehicle insurance claim management application and the vehicle repairestimating system. The VICMA then reviews the estimate data forcompliance with a set of front-end business rules. Next, the VICMAtransfers the estimate data to an insurance company system to bereviewed for compliance with a set of back-end rules. The VICMA thenreceives a set of reinspection data and reviews the inspection data fromthe insurance company. Next, the VICMA updates the estimate data basedon the reinspection data. The VICMA also tracks a real-time financialstatus for the repair. The tracking of the real-time status includesstoring the payment status information for the plurality of workrequests assigned to the vehicle repair shop, providing payment statusinformation for the plurality of work requests assigned to the vehiclerepair shop, generating invoices from the vehicle repair shop to theinsurance company to initiate payment, and processing an electronic fundtransfer automatically when the plurality of vehicle repairs arecompleted and the vehicle is delivered. The VICMA also compiles a set ofvehicle repair shop performance data automatically when the plurality ofwork requests are completed by the vehicle repair shop.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of the present invention and theadvantages thereof may be acquired by referring to the followingdescription in consideration of the accompanying drawings, in which likereference numbers indicate like features, and wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a system architecture for implementing one or moreillustrative aspects of the invention;

FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate a flowchart of the methodology forimplementing one or more illustrative aspects of the invention;

FIG. 3 is an illustrative system overview for one or more aspects of theinvention; and

FIGS. 4-16 show illustrative screen shots for one or more aspects of theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following description of the various embodiments, reference ismade to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and inwhich is shown by way of illustration various embodiments in which theinvention may be practiced. It is to be understood that otherembodiments may be utilized and structural and functional modificationsmay be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Aspects of the invention provide a method and system for efficientlycommunicating data between an insurer and its repair shops, e.g.,vehicle repair shops. An insurer may thus provide claim data to thevehicle repair shop, and the vehicle repair shop may provide repair costinformation to the insurer. The methods and systems described herein areparticularly useful for insurers utilizing direct repair partners forservicing vehicles involved in insurance claims. Direct repair refers toa process whereby an insured takes his or her vehicle directly to arepair shop (referred to herein as a direct repair partner) withouthaving to first visit an insurance adjustor to assess damage to thevehicle. Direct repair partner shops are typically preapproved by theinsurer to perform the estimating work directly on premises, therebyreducing the insurer's expense of hiring insurance adjustors andmaintaining physical premises in which adjustors perform their jobs, andsaving the insured's time by not requiring the insured to visit aninsurance adjustor prior to visiting a repair shop or, alternatively, bynot having to visit numerous vehicle repair facilities to securemultiple estimates for submission to the insurer. The communicated datamay include repair estimates, photos, data regarding the insured partyand/or vehicle, other data that may be used by a vehicle repair shop,data obtained by a vehicle repair shop that is subsequently provided tothe insurer, financial data associated with the vehicle repair shop andits repairs, performance data for the vehicle repair shop, orreinspection reports from the insurance company. The term “photos” mayrefer to photos in a variety of formats, including print or digital.

FIG. 1 illustrates one example of a network architecture and dataprocessing device that may be used to implement one or more illustrativeaspects of the invention. Various components 103, 105, 107, and 108 maybe interconnected via a network 101, such as the Internet. Othernetworks may also or alternatively be used, including private intranets,local LANs, wireless WANs, personal PANs, storage area networks (SANs),and the like. The components may include an insurance company dataserver 103, web server 105, and a client computer 107. The insurancecompany data server 103 provides overall control and administration ofdata communication services according to aspects described herein. Theinsurance company data server 103 may be connected to the web server 105through which users interact with the communicative system and software.The web server 105 may be for example a claim processing system whichmay be used to store assignment information for further processing andthen translate this information into a format acceptable for the clientcomputer 107. Alternatively, the insurance company data server 103 mayact as a web server itself and be directly connected to the Internet.The insurance company data server 103 may be connected to web server 105through the network 101 (e.g., the Internet), or via some other network.

Users may interact with the data server 103 using a remote computer 107located on premises of a vehicle repair shop 108. The remote/clientcomputer 107 may be any conventional data processing device that canaccess the Internet, e.g., laptop computers, desktop computers,ultra-mobile PCs, Internet enabled mobile devices, etc. Client computersmay also be located in any other location, and need not be limited tothe premises of a repair shop. Client computers may interact with dataserver 103 and/or web server 105, e.g., using a web browser to connectto the data server 103 via one or more externally exposed web siteshosted by web server 105. Alternatively, each client computer 107 mayhave a “thin client” installed thereon, whereby the thin client providesan executable shell hosting a browser-window therein. The thin clientthereby limits the toolbar menus (e.g., File, Edit, View, Favorites,Tools, Help, etc.), such as are typically found in browser applicationssuch as Microsoft's Internet Explorer, that are available to a userwhile accessing the data server. The thin client also adds new toolbarmenus to provide services in conjunction with the data server 103 and/orweb server 105, as is further described below.

Servers and applications may be combined on the same physical machines,and retain separate virtual or logical addresses, or may reside onseparate physical machines. FIG. 1 illustrates but one example of anetwork architecture that may be used, and those of skill in the artwill appreciate that the specific network architecture and dataprocessing device used may vary, and are secondary to the functionalitythat they provide, as further described below.

Each component 103, 105, 107 may be any type of known computer, server,or data processing device. Data server 103, e.g., may include aprocessor 111 controlling overall operation of the data server 103. Dataserver 103 may further include RAM 113, ROM 115, network interface 117,input/output interfaces 119 (e.g., keyboard, mouse, display, printer,etc.), and memory 121. Memory 121 may further store operating systemsoftware 123 for controlling overall operation of the data server 103,control logic 125 for instructing data server 103 to perform aspects ofthe invention as described herein, and other application software 127providing secondary support or other functionality which may or mightnot be used in conjunction with aspects of the present invention. Thecontrol logic 125 may be referred to herein as the data server softwareor repair shop communication (RSC) software. Functionality of the dataserver software may refer to operations or decisions made automaticallybased on rules coded into the control logic, or made manually by a userproviding input into the system.

Memory 121 may also store data used in performance of one or moreaspects of the invention, including a claim database 129 and a shopdatabase 131. The claim database 129 may store information regardingclaims submitted by the insurer's insureds. Claim information mayinclude, e.g., a date of accident, type of vehicle, insured's name, etc.The shop database 131 stores information about the various vehiclerepair shops 108 with which the insurer works to repair customers'vehicles. The shop database 131 may store, for each vehicle repair shop108, shop contact information, available services (e.g., body shop,engine, transmission, audio/video, etc.), hours of operation, as well asindicate whether each shop is a direct repair partner or whether reviewby an insurance adjustor is required. In some embodiments, the claimdatabase 129 and shop database 131 may be stored in a single databasesystem. That is, the information can be stored in a single database, orseparated into different logical, virtual, and/or physical databases,depending on system design.

Those of skill in the art will appreciate that the functionality of thedata server 103 as described herein may be spread across multiple dataservers or data processing devices, for example, to distributeprocessing load across multiple computers, to segregate transactionsbased on geographic location, insurer, insured, type of insurance, etc.In addition, one or more aspects of the invention may be embodied incomputer-usable data and computer-executable instructions, such as inone or more program modules, executed by one or more computers or otherdevices. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects,components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks orimplement particular abstract data types when executed by a processor ina computer or other device. The computer executable instructions may bestored on one or more computer readable media such as a hard disk,optical disk, removable storage media, solid state memory, RAM, etc. Aswill be appreciated by one of skill in the art, the functionality of theprogram modules may be combined or distributed as desired in variousembodiments. In addition, the functionality may be embodied in whole orin part in firmware or hardware equivalents such as integrated circuits,field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), and the like. Particular datastructures may be used to more effectively implement one or more aspectsof the invention, and such data structures are contemplated within thescope of computer executable instructions and computer-usable datadescribed herein.

Vehicle Insurance Claim Management Application (VICMA)

Generally, the vehicle insurance claim management application (VICMA)improves communication and streamlines tasks between a vehicle repairshop and an insurance company in three general task groups: assignmentmanagement (comprising work requests, estimates/photos, andreinspections), financial management (e.g., electronic funds transfers(EFT)), and performance measurement. A work request also may be referredto as work assignment, repair request, service request, record transfer,vehicle claim or other terms. Whatever term is used, it is not meant toimply any particular type of relationship or obligation between theinsurance company and a vendor.

FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate a method for the VICMA for use by aninsurance company and a user of a computer system at a vehicle repairshop. The method of FIGS. 2A and 2B will be described further in thefollowing exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 3 illustrates the insurance company system 300, a claim processingsystem 320, and the repair shop work station 107 from FIG. 1. Theinsurance company system 300 may include the claim database 129 and shopdatabase 131 as well as a security system 302. In addition, the claimprocessing system 320 may include a claim processing web server 105, atranslator application 322, and an additional database 324. The repairwork station 107 may include the VICMA 330 as described further in thisdescription. Within the repair shop work station 107, there may also bea claim processing desktop application 332 and a web-browser/insurancecompany shop application 340. While the shop application 340 isillustrated conceptually as residing at the repair shop workstation 107,the shop application 340 may alternatively be accessed by and interactwith the claim processing desktop application 332 using a web browser orbrowser shell/window. That is, the shop application 340 may be housed orserved by web server 105 associated with claim processing system 320,and merely accessed using a thin client claim processing desktopapplication 332. Within the web-browser/insurance company shopapplication 340 the user may perform a number of different actions suchas: authentication or login 342, pre-load assignment data 344, transferestimates and data 346, view insurance company estimates 348, view EFTdetails 350, view Key Performance Indicators (KPI) 352, or viewreinspection details 354. Furthermore, there may be a repair estimatingsystem 334 within the claim processing desktop application 332. Thefollowing sections will further describe the interaction between each ofthese systems and applications.

The VICMA 330 may comprise a number of modules which may include, but isnot limited to, the following: an adapter module 336, an assignmentmodule 326, a financial module 339, and a performance module 337. Eachof these modules will be described in more detail in the below sections.

Assignment Module

The insurance company may offer assignments to the vehicle repair shopfor either repairs or estimates as part of the first notice of loss(FNOL) process. After the vehicle repair shop has been offered theassignment and submitted the estimate, the vehicle repair shop typicallycompletes the corresponding repairs upon approval by the insurancecompany and absent any special circumstances. The present invention mayprovide the vehicle repair shop with assignment data needed to prepare arepair estimate or repair the vehicle. Assignment data may include, butnot be limited to, customer name, contact information, insurance claimnumber, assignment date, loss date, loss type, loss type detail, lossdescription, current vehicle location, location where vehicle may besent, deductible amount, vehicle type, year/make/model, vehicleidentification number (VIN), license plate number, towing companyinformation, damage information, prior damage information, and vehiclesafety status (drivable/non-drivable). One of the elements of the VICMAand the “direct connection” with the vehicle repair shop is the abilityto provide assignment information and to offer real-time updates whenany of the information changes during the course of the claim and/orrepair. For example, an assignment might not have contained a deductibleamount or a correct deductible amount at the initiation of theassignment. Through further investigation, the amount of the error couldbe discovered or corrected and the assignment information could beimmediately updated to the vehicle repair shop that needs that data toconclude the repair and the associated financial processing. In otherwords, the VICMA and “direct connection” with the vehicle repair shopmay expedite the repair for the customer.

An assignment module 326 may be defined by computer readableinstructions from the VICMA 330. The assignment module 326 may comprisethree functions: work requests, estimates/photos, and reinspections. Inone embodiment of the present invention, in a first step 202, theinsurance company system 300, as part of the assignment module 326,transfers (the term “transfer,” as used throughout, refers to uploadingand/or downloading and/or pre-loading, depending on the specificsituation, between two or more software applications residing on one ordifferent computers or computer systems) a set of assignment datapertaining to a plurality of work requests. The work requests arereceived by the vehicle repair shop through the VICMA and the assignmentmodule 326. A work request may be referred to by other terms such aswork assignment, repair request, service request, record transfer,vehicle claim or other terms. Whatever term is used, it is not meant toimply any particular type of relationship or obligation between theinsurance company and a vendor. The assignment data may be stored in aclaim processing system database 324. The specific claim information isassigned to a given vehicle repair shop 108 and may be transferred tothe vehicle repair shop 108 after the vehicle repair shop identity isauthenticated by the VICMA 330.

Authentication or login 342 may be accomplished when the vehicle repairshop 108 enters a name and a password in the claim processing desktop332 which queries the security application 302 to verify identity. Thesecurity application 302 may then query the shop database 131 or asimilar database (e.g., which manages the relationships between theinsurance companies and service providers to promote competition andprovide customers with fact-based recommendations). The query of theshop database 131 may then validate that the user is legitimate whileidentifying the user's level of access to the insurance companyinformation.

Once the vehicle repair shop 108 is authenticated to the insurancecompany system 300 and the user is successfully logged in to the VICMA330, in a step 204, the claim processing server 105, as part of theassignment module 326, transfers the assignment data to a vehicle repairestimating system 334. This may include transferring the claim filesassigned to the vehicle repair shop 108 by the insurance company. Theclaim processing system 320 may transfer or pre-load data 344 into theshop application estimating database by extracting information from theinsurance company data and populating the necessary fields in the shopdatabase 131 or claims database 129, while generating an assignmentrequest. The assignment request may include information about the claimand the estimate.

The next step, a step 206, the VICMA 330, through an adapter module 336,may transfer and translate the assignment data (e.g., estimate) to andfrom the vehicle repair estimating system 334. There are two differentscenarios where this may take place. First, if the customer's vehiclewas inspected by the insurance company (e.g., drive-in, etc.), thevehicle repair shop 108 may receive the estimate as part of thetransferred claim file. The estimates may then be directly transferred346 to the vehicle repair shop's estimating system 334 for furtherprocessing. The processing may include viewing and verifying theestimate 348 or modifying and sending a revised estimate through theclaim processing system 320 back to the insurance company system 300.

Second, in the case where the customer goes directly to the vehiclerepair shop 108, the vehicle repair shop 108 creates an estimate. Oncethe estimate is created, the vehicle repair shop 108 provides theinsurance company system 300 with the estimate by transferring theestimate 346 through the claim processing system 320 where it may betranslated through an adapter module 336 into a form acceptable by theinsurance company. The adapter module 336 is defined by the computerreadable instructions from the VICMA 330. The VICMA 330 may have one ormultiple adapter modules 336 which translate data between the VICMA 330and a first or second (or third, etc.) vehicle repair estimating system334. If the vehicle repair shop 108 is using a different estimatingsystem 334, then the claim processing system 320 may translate theassignment data (e.g., claim and estimate data) into a format acceptedby the vehicle repair shop's claims system. The claim processing system320 may translate this data using a translation application 322 withinthe claim processing system 320. Different vehicle repair shops 108 mayuse different estimating systems 334. The translation application 322will translate the output and input into each of these differentestimating systems 334. The VICMA 330 allows vehicle repair shops 108 touse whatever estimating systems 334 they choose. The claim processingsystem 320 may also encrypt the data transmitted over the internet toprotect the privacy of the customer and to ensure the information issecure.

In the next step, 208, the estimate data may then be sent to the VICMAfrom the vehicle repair estimating system. The assignment module 326 maytransfer the estimate data and assignment data from the vehicle repairestimating system 334 and then assign a corresponding repair to thevehicle repair shop 108.

In the next step, 210, the VICMA may then review the estimate data forcompliance with a set of front-end business rules. These front-end rulesare normally contract-based. The VICMA may review the estimate data withrespect to charges aligning with the contract the vehicle repair shopsigned with the insurance company. These contract-based features mayinclude labor rates, chargeable hours per particular task, or any otheraspect of the work covered by the contract. If the front-end rules arenot met, the vehicle repair shop 108 normally corrects the errors andresubmits the assignment request for further processing to the insurancecompany. This review could also include a review of the assignment databy the VICMA 330.

Following the estimation process and after the vehicle repair shop 108has completed the review based on the front-end rules in step 210, theestimate data or assignment data may be reviewed by a set of back-endrules by the insurance company system 300. Generally, if the estimatedata does not meet the back-end rules, a reinspection is required.During the reinspection, the VICMA, through the assignment module, mayrerun the same set of front-end rules executed at the vehicle repairshop, and may also run a set of back-end rules (BERs). Front-end rulesare normally contract-based. The VICMA may review the estimate withrespect to charges aligning with the contract the vehicle repair shopsigned with the insurance company. These contract-based features mayinclude labor rates, chargeable hours per particular task, or any otheraspect of the work covered by the contract. If certain errors are found,the insurance company system 300 may send the estimate back to thevehicle repair shop 108 to correct and re-submit. Or also, if a certainother set of errors are found, the insurance company system 300 maycorrect the identified errors and then move on and evaluate the back-endrules.

The back-end rules, as reviewed in step 212, may be based on or indicatewhether the estimate aligns with the damage described (e.g., in the caseof a front-end collision, the system would flag a rear tail lightassembly indicated as needing repair). Each discrepancy may be scoredand at the end of the review, a final score is calculated. Depending onscore thresholds, the back-end business rules define what furtherspecific action should be taken.

Example:

-   BER<50−PASS; the claim is cleared for further processing;-   BER>50−generate report and send file to reinspection for output    review

The reinspection scores may be used as part of a performance ratingmethod that measures the accuracy and effectiveness of the vehiclerepair shop 108 relative to others in the market. The reinspectionscores are then tabulated and may be displayed and stored using areinspection report.

The insurance company system 300 may create a reinspection report. In astep 214, the VICMA 330 may receive a set of inspection data from theinsurance company. This inspection data may be in the form of thereinspection report. The reinspection report may include: claim number,owner name, estimate version, appraisal source, reinspection type,reinspection location, reinspector's name, repair phase, reinspectioncompletion date, and reinspector notes.

In a step 216, a read-only copy of the reinspection report may bedownloaded and reviewed 354 by the vehicle repair shop 108 by linkingthrough web browser on the claims processing system desktop application320. If discrepancies are listed in the reinspection report, the vehiclerepair shop 108 then transfers a change request form through the claimsprocessing translator system 322 which will allow the vehicle repairshop 108 to enter corrected information using its estimating system 334.In a step 218, the VICMA updates the estimate data based on thereinspection and reinspection report. Once the data is corrected, asupplement shop estimate may be transferred to the insurance companysystem 300 via the claim processing translator system 322. The finalfinancial processing on completion of repairs, EFT, might not processuntil all required reinspection requests are corrected and supplementshop estimates are transferred to the insurance company.

The change request form may also include additional quality informationin the form of: estimate accuracy percentage, opportunity percentage,dollar accuracy, and dollar opportunity in terms of a percentage ofcosts.

Examples:

-   Estimate Accuracy (%)=(Insurance Company estimate value/Shop    estimate value)×100%-   Opportunity (%)=100%−Estimate Accuracy %-   Dollar Accuracy (USD)=Insurance Company Estimate (USD)×Estimate    Accuracy/100-   Dollar Opportunity (USD)=Shop Estimate−Dollar Accuracy    Estimate accuracy may be defined by the ratio of the insurance    company estimate divided by the vehicle repair shop estimate. When    the shop estimate is more than the insurance company estimate, the    value is less than 100%. However, if the vehicle repair shop    estimate is less than the insurance company estimate, the value is    greater than 100%.

The reinspection report may also include estimate exceptions. Estimateexceptions may highlight information associated to the claims that areidentified by the insurance company as being in error. The types ofinformation that may be highlighted may include vehicle information(vehicle year, mileage, equipment level). Other exceptions may includeestimate line items. Estimate line items include listing of parts, laborand associated task duration (hours), and price. The reinspection reportmay also include a summary section that tabulates the identified tasks,hours, associated labor rates, and total amount of the reinspectioncosts. This information may also or alternatively be used by theperformance module 337 and/or the financial module 339.

Financial Module

In a step 220, the VICMA 330 provides the capability to track real-timefinancial status of the vehicle repair through the use of a financialmodule 339 or an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) system. The financialmodule 339 tracks two different types of claim transactions:verification requests and payment remittance. The financial module 339provides for transaction information to be viewed as either includingall claims assigned to the vehicle repair shop 108 (many vehicles) or byindividual claims.

For verification requests, the financial module 339 verifies that alltransaction information is accurate and associated to the correct claimnumbers. If errors are detected, the insurance company system 300 maylist the error messages on the “EFT Financials” screen and averification request may be submitted to the vehicle repair shop 108 tocorrect the error.

When the vehicle repair shop 108 starts the vehicle repair, the vehiclerepair shop 108 may enter the status change to “started” in theassignment screen 600. The status change may be transmitted via the weblink through the claim processing system 320 to be translated by thetranslation application 322 if needed. The status change may beregistered in the claims database 129. Once the vehicle repair shop 108completes the repair, a user at the vehicle repair shop 108 updates thevehicle repair shop workstation 107 to “vehicle delivered.” Theinsurance company system 300 then may transfer a status change by thesame process which will update the claim status in the claims database129 to “complete,” in turn authorizing the EFT system to make thepayment electronically. Therefore, there is no need for the vehiclerepair shop 108 to wait for payment by conventional methods such aschecks, etc. The EFT process may also begin when a user at the vehiclerepair shop 108 updates the vehicle repair shop workstation 107 to“vehicle delivered” or “repair complete.”

All transactions associated with the vehicle repair shop 108 or aparticular claim may be viewed 350 by the vehicle repair shop userand/or insurance company's claim representative to quickly determiningpayment status or issues.

Performance Module

In a step 222, a performance module 337 compiles vehicle repair shopperformance data, or Key Performance Indicator (KPI) data, thatcalculates a score and ranks the vehicle repair shop relative to othervehicle repair shops in the market. Finally, in a step 224, the VICMA330 gathers vehicle repair shop metrics by routing information throughthe claim processing translation system 322. The KPI data may becompiled for individual claim transactions. When all data fields arecaptured for a given claim, the claim file may be added to a vehiclerepair shop file that includes claim statistics for all claims thevehicle repair shop 108 has processed with the insurance company.

The vehicle repair shop file may include scores for customer service,repair quality (pass ratio), or cycle time. It may also include estimatemetrics that measure the vehicle repair shop's ability to estimate totalrepair cost, average part amount for estimate, and average hours perestimate (with a breakdown of refinish, repair, and replace). The reportmay also include a measure of estimate accuracy that measures thedifference between the vehicle repair shop's estimates and the finalbill, difference between submitted and reinspection results. Anotherquality criterion may measure the number of recommended certificationsthe vehicle repair shop has relative to the desired level ofcertification the insurance company has set or that the collision repairindustry has set as a desirable industry standard.

The insurance company system 300 and shop database 131 may compile theindividual vehicle repair shop files over a specified time (e.g., onemonth, six months, etc.) and then may calculate rankings relative to thelocal market. The report may be created and then viewed by the vehiclerepair shop 108 by linking through the web browser on the claimsprocessing application 332. The vehicle repair shop 108 may have onlyview-only rights 352 and may have no access for changing anyinformation. This aspect of the invention allows the performance module337 to gather performance metrics and automatically update the KPIperformance report when the individual claim files are completed. Theinvention further provides the vehicle repair shops 108 with the latestperformance rating and ranking feedback which may more quickly help themidentify ways to improve.

Illustrative User Interface

FIGS. 4-16 illustrate a set of illustrative user interface screens whichrepresent an aspect of the invention. Those skilled in the art willrecognize that these are only example user interface screens and that awide range and variety of user interface screens may be possible forthis invention. As used herein, the term “exemplary” is not intended tomean “best” or “ideal,” but rather is used synonymously with the term“illustrative.”

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary user interface screen 400 forauthentication 342 that may be presented to a user of the repair shopapplication 330. The authentication screen 400 may enable the user toenter their user name 402 and password 404. The user may then select a“Login” button 406 to begin the authentication process for the user ofthe VICMA 330.

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate exemplary “Assignments” user interfacescreens 502 for the present invention. On each of these “Home” screens530, the user may select any one of the following links across the topof the screen which will take the user to a specified action within theVICMA 330. These links may include: Assignments 500, Find Assignment1100, Request Assignment 1200, Financials 1300, Reinspections 1400, ShopProfile 1500, or Shop Performance 1600. Each of these categories will bedescribed in further detail below.

The user may select the “Assignments” link 500, the Assignment screen502 will be displayed. As illustrated in FIG. 5A, the transferred claimassignments may be listed in the Assignments screen 502. As illustratedin FIG. 5A, the following categories may be listed for each claimassignment: customer 504, vehicle 506, preferred phone 508, claim number510, date assigned 512, promised delivery date 514, and current status516. The user may also be able to change the status of a given claimthrough the “Change Status” link 518. The viewable list of claims may besorted by a category by selecting that given category area. Asillustrated in FIG. 5B, this exemplary interface screen 502 may havevarious views for the user. The user, from a drop-down selection box522, may select views such as: new, estimate complete, repair scheduled,repair started, repair complete, vehicle delivered, cancelled & closed,and all. In addition to the user having the ability to access and viewthis status information, others such as insurance agents, rental carcompanies, and customers may also have the ability to access and viewthis status information.

To view further assignment details for an individual claim or customer,the user may select a specific name 520 in the customer 504 category.FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary user interface screen for AssignmentDetails 600. The Assignment Details screen 600 may list variousinformation which can include status, assignment type, date assigned,contact information, promised delivery data, notes to shop, shopcomments, claim number, named insured, loss date, loss type, loss typedetails, loss description, deductible amount, vehicle type, vehiclelocation, year/make/model, Vehicle Identification Number, license plate,damage description, prior damage, vehicle safety drivable, and rental.

Also on this assignment detail screen 600, the user may take variousactions associated with that specific claim. First, the user may selecta “Preload Assignment Data” button 602. When the “Preload AssignmentData” button 602 is selected, the assignment data is transferred fromthe claim processing database 324 to the VICMA 330. FIGS. 7A-7Cillustrate exemplary user interface screens for preloading assignmentdata 700. The preloading assignment data screen 700 lists the claimnumber 702 as well as the status of the transfer of the assignment data704 and the importing of assignment data 706.

Second, on FIG. 6, the assignment detail screen, the user may select an“Upload Estimate/Photo” button 604. When the “Upload Estimate/Photo”button 604 is selected, the VICMA 330 uploads the estimate from theclaim processing database 324 to the VICMA 330. In FIG. 8A, an exemplaryuser interface screen illustrates how the user may select the estimate800 and find the estimate 802 for a given claim number 804. Once theestimate is selected 800, in FIG. 8B, an exemplary user interface screenillustrates the system uploading the estimate 810. While uploading theestimate, the system obtains the estimate 812, validates the estimate814, translates the estimate 816, and reviews the estimate 818. A photomay also be uploading during this step along with the estimate.Furthermore, the user may also select the “Upload Photos Only” button606 in order to only upload photographs.

Third, on FIG. 6, the assignment detail screen 600, the user may selectto “Change Status/Dates” link 608. When the “Change Status/Dates” link608 is selected, the user may change the status of the claim assignmentor change various dates associated with the claim assignment on theChange Status/Dates user interface screen 900. Some examples of thedates which may be changed are: estimate complete date 902, repairscheduled date 904, repair started 906, promise delivery 908, repaircomplete 910, or vehicle delivered 912. Also on the Change Status/Datesscreen 900, the user may select the “Cancel Assignment” link 614.

Fourth, on FIG. 6, the assignment detail screen 600, the user may selectthe “Add Comments” link 610 which may allow the user to include commentssurrounding the particular claim assignment. Also, the user may selectthe “View History” link 612 which may allow the user to view the claimhistory from the initiation of the claim assignment through thecompletion of the claim assignment. Lastly, on the assignment detailscreen 600, the user may select the “Cancel Assignment” link 614 (thislink is the same as the “Cancel Assignment” link on FIG. 9) in order tocancel the selected claim assignment. FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplaryCancel Assignment user interface screen 1000. On this Cancel Assignmentscreen 1000, the user may select a reason from a “Cancellation Reason”drop-down menu 1002.

The user may select the “Find Assignment” link 1100 to search variousassignments on the Find Assignment screen 1102. FIG. 11 illustrates anexemplary Find Assignments user interface screen 1102. The FindAssignment screen 1102 may allow the user to search the claim database129 by customer last name 1104 or claim number. The VICMA 330 will thensearch the claim database 129 and list the search results 1106 and allclaim assignments which match the given search criteria.

The user may select the “Request Assignment” link 1200 to request anassignment on the Request Assignment screen 1202. FIG. 12 illustrates anexemplary Request Assignment user interface screen 1202. The RequestAssignment screen 1202 may allow the user to request a certainassignment by claim number 1204, customer name 1206, vehicle make 1208,or vehicle year 1210. The user may then select the “Request Assignment”button 1212 and the VICMA 330 will then search the claim database 129for the given claim request and then present the requested assignment onthe Assignment Details screen 600, as illustrated in FIG. 6.

The user may select the “Financials” link 1300 to display the Financialsscreen 1302. FIGS. 13A and 13B illustrate exemplary user interfacescreens for the financial module 339 of the VICMA 330. FIG. 13Aillustrates the Financial user interface screen 1302. The Financialscreen 1302 may allow the user to view a customer's financial status insuch categories as: customer name 1304, claim number 1306, lasttransaction date 1308, transaction type 1310 (e.g., remittance orverification), amount 1312, or status 1314. There may also be aselection for a “View All” link 1316 which allows the user to see thedetails of the financial customer or claim number. FIG. 13B illustratesthe specific details from the “View All” link 1316 for the claim number1320. On this screen, the following information is listed specificallyfor each financial transaction associated with the selected claimnumber: customer name 1322, transaction date 1324, transaction type 1326(e.g., remittance or verification), amount 1328, or status 1330.

The user may select the “Reinspection” link 1400 to display theReinspection Report screen 1402. FIG. 14A illustrates an exemplaryReinspection Report selection user interface screen 1402. TheReinspection Reports screen 1402 may list the available reinspectionreports for a given month. The user may select the month from a monthdrop-down menu 1404. After the user selects the month, the availablereinspection reports may be listed by: customer name 1406, claim number1408, reinspection date 1410, change request 1412, and estimate accuracy1414. A “View Detail” link 1416 may also be available for selection.FIG. 14B illustrates a reinspection report when the “View Detail” link1416 is selected. The reinspection report 1420 as illustrated in FIG.14B, may list general claim assignment details 1422, such as: ownername, reinspector name, estimate version, reinspection location,appraisal source, repair phase, reinspection type, reinspectioncomplete, or change request status. The reinspection report 1420 mayalso list the accuracy and opportunity 1424, such as: estimate accuracy(%), dollar accuracy (USD), opportunity (%), or dollar opportunity(USD). The reinspection report 1420 may also list the estimate line itemexceptions 1426, parts summary exceptions 1428, labor summary exceptions1430, material summary exceptions 1432, additional charges summaryexceptions 1434, or vehicle information exceptions 1436.

As illustrated in FIG. 15A, the user may select the Shop Profile userinterface screen 1500. The Shop Profile screen 1500 may list the storedetails of the selected shop 1502. The following information may belisted for each selected shop 1502: address, phone, e-mail, contactname, hours of operation, services, or closest major intersection. Theuser may also change the selected shop by selecting the “Change Shop”link 1504. After selecting the “Change Shop” link 1504, the user may betaken to a “Change Shop” user interface screen 1506 as illustrated inFIG. 15B. The user may select a vehicle repair shop by selecting theshop from a drop-down selection list 1508 with various shops listed fromthe shop database.

The user may select the “Shop Performance” link 1600 to display thePerformance screen 1602. FIG. 16 illustrates an exemplary ShopPerformance user interface screen 1602 from the Shop Performance module1600 on the VICMA 330. The Shop Performance screen 1602 may include boththe tier level 1604 and performance ranking (with “as of date”) 1606.The Performance screen 1602 may also include the following categories:customer service 1608, repair quality (e.g., pass ratio) 1610, cycletime 1612, estimate metrics 1614, reinspection accuracy 1616, andrecommended certifications (e.g., I-CAR, ASE Blue, SP2, etc.) 1618. Thecustomer service category may further include: explanation of shopprocess, quality of work, care and concern, timely completion ofrepairs, or promise time (e.g., change to delivered on time). Theestimate metrics category may further include: total repair cost,average part amount per estimate, average hours per estimate forrefinish, repair, and replace, or the difference from estimate to thefinal bill. Each of these categories may have its own shop result numberwith an associated ranking.

CONCLUSION

Although the subject matter has been described in language specific tostructural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understoodthat the subject matter defined in the appended claims is notnecessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above.Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed asexample forms of implementing the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An insurance claim system comprising: aninsurance company data server comprising at least one computer processorand a user interface and coupled to a network, wherein the userinterface includes an assignment user interface and an authenticationuser interface to enable the customer to enter a user name and apassword; a vehicle repair estimating system having at least onecomputer processor and interconnected with the insurance company dataserver via the network, the vehicle repair estimating system creates arepair estimate, wherein the repair estimate includes a set of estimatedata and an image of the corresponding loss and damage of the vehicle;and a vehicle insurance claim management application operating on theinsurance company data server and the vehicle repair estimating system,wherein the vehicle insurance claim management application providesinteroperability between the insurance company data server and thevehicle repair estimating system by executing a specific sequence ofsteps with the insurance company data server and the vehicle repairestimating system that causes the insurance claim system to: receiveassignment data from the insurance company data server via theassignment user interface, wherein the assignment data includesinformation about a customer, a corresponding vehicle, and acorresponding loss with the vehicle; translate the assignment data intoa format accepted by the vehicle insurance claim management application;encrypt the assignment data; transfer the translated and encryptedassignment data to the vehicle repair estimating system; receiveestimate data and the image from the vehicle repair estimating system,wherein the estimate data and the image includes information about arepair estimate for the loss of the vehicle, and further wherein therepair estimate is uploaded from the vehicle repair estimating system tothe vehicle insurance claim management application; translate theestimate data and the image into a format accepted by the vehicleinsurance claim management application; encrypt the estimate data andthe image; analyze and audit the estimate data for compliance withcontract-based conditions; provide real-time updates between the vehicleinsurance claim management application and the vehicle repair estimatingsystem when one or more of the assignment data or the estimate datachanges; transmit and communicate, over the Internet to the vehicleinsurance claim management application and displayed on the userinterface, the real-time updates of changes to one or more of theassignment data or the estimate data; and based on the translation andthe review of the set of estimate data, transfer and communicate thetranslated and encrypted estimate data to the insurance company dataserver.
 2. The insurance claim system of claim 1, wherein the vehicleinsurance claim management application in communication with theinsurance company data server and the vehicle repair estimating systemcauses the insurance claim system further to: receive second assignmentdata from the insurance company data server via the assignment userinterface, wherein the second assignment data includes information abouta second customer, a corresponding second vehicle, and a correspondingsecond loss with the second vehicle; translate the second assignmentdata into a format accepted by the vehicle insurance claim managementapplication; encrypt the second assignment data; transfer the translatedand encrypted second assignment data to the vehicle repair estimatingsystem; receive second estimate data and a second image of thecorresponding second loss and damage of the second vehicle from thevehicle repair estimating system, wherein the second estimate data andthe second image includes information about a second repair estimate forthe second loss of the second vehicle, and further wherein the secondrepair estimate is uploaded from the vehicle repair estimating system tothe vehicle insurance claim management application; translate the secondestimate data and the second image into a format accepted by the vehicleinsurance claim management application; and encrypt the second estimatedata and the second image.
 3. The insurance claim system of claim 1,wherein the vehicle insurance claim management application incommunication with the insurance company data server and the vehiclerepair estimating system causes the insurance claim system further to:store and provide payment status information for the assignment data. 4.The insurance claim system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle insuranceclaim management application in communication with the insurance companydata server and the vehicle repair estimating system causes theinsurance claim system further to: store and provide one or moreperformance metrics for the vehicle repair facility as compared to othervehicle repair facilities.
 5. The insurance claim system of claim 1,wherein the insurance company data server is coupled to a web serverthrough which users interact with the vehicle insurance claim managementapplication and the insurance claim system.
 6. The insurance claimsystem of claim 5, wherein the web server includes a claim processingsystem used to store the assignment data for further processing.
 7. Theinsurance claim system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle insurance claimmanagement application in communication with the insurance company dataserver and the vehicle repair estimating system causes the insuranceclaim system further to: provide a timeline indicating a plurality ofmilestone dates corresponding to a vehicle work request.
 8. Theinsurance claim system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle insurance claimmanagement application in communication with the insurance company dataserver and the vehicle repair estimating system causes the insuranceclaim system further to: provides an interactive calendar through whichthe vehicle repair shop schedules repair of a vehicle corresponding to avehicle work request.
 9. An insurance claim system comprising: aninsurance company data server comprising at least one computer processorand a user interface and coupled to a network, wherein the userinterface includes an assignment user interface and an authenticationuser interface to enable the customer to enter a user name and apassword; a vehicle repair estimating system having at least onecomputer processor and interconnected with the insurance company dataserver via the network, the vehicle repair estimating system located ona premises of a vehicle repair shop and the vehicle repair estimatingsystem creates a repair estimate; and a vehicle insurance claimmanagement application operating on the insurance company data serverand the vehicle repair estimating system, wherein the vehicle insuranceclaim management application provides interoperability between theinsurance company data server and the vehicle repair estimating systemby executing a specific sequence of steps with the insurance companydata server and the vehicle repair estimating system that causes theinsurance claim system to: receive first assignment data from theinsurance company data server via the assignment user interface, whereinthe first assignment data includes information about a first customer, acorresponding first vehicle, and a corresponding first loss with thefirst vehicle; receive second assignment data from the insurance companydata server via the assignment user interface, wherein the secondassignment data includes information about a second customer, acorresponding second vehicle, and a corresponding second loss with thesecond vehicle; translate the first assignment data and the secondassignment data into a format accepted by the vehicle insurance claimmanagement application; encrypt the first assignment data and the secondassignment data; transfer the translated and encrypted first assignmentdata and the second assignment data to the vehicle repair estimatingsystem; receive first estimate data from the vehicle repair estimatingsystem, wherein the first estimate data includes a first image andinformation about a first repair estimate for the first loss of thefirst vehicle, and further wherein the first repair estimate is uploadedfrom the vehicle repair estimating system to the vehicle insurance claimmanagement application; receive second estimate data from the vehiclerepair estimating system, wherein the second estimate data includes asecond image and information about a second repair estimate for thesecond loss of the second vehicle, and further wherein the second repairestimate is uploaded from the vehicle repair estimating system to thevehicle insurance claim management application; translate the firstestimate data and the second estimate data, the first image, and thesecond image into a format accepted by the vehicle insurance claimmanagement application; encrypt the first estimate data and the secondestimate data, the first image, and the second image; analyze and auditthe first estimate data and the second estimate data for compliance withcontract-based conditions; provide real-time updates between the vehicleinsurance claim management application and the vehicle repair estimatingsystem when one or more of the assignment data, the first set ofestimate data, or the second set of estimate data changes; transmit andcommunicate, over the Internet to the vehicle insurance claim managementapplication and displayed on the user interface, the real-time updatesof changes to one or more of the assignment data, the first set ofestimate data, or the second set of estimate data; and based on thetranslation and the review of the first set and the second set ofestimate data, transfer and communicate the translated and encryptedfirst estimate data and the second estimate data, the first image, andthe second image to the insurance company data server.
 10. The insuranceclaim system claim 9, wherein the vehicle insurance claim managementapplication in communication with the insurance company data server andthe vehicle repair estimating system causes the insurance claim systemfurther to: provide a timeline indicating a plurality of milestone datescorresponding to a vehicle work request.
 11. The insurance claim systemof claim 9, wherein the vehicle insurance claim management applicationin communication with the insurance company data server and the vehiclerepair estimating system causes the insurance claim system further to:provide an interactive calendar through which the vehicle repair shopschedules repair of a vehicle corresponding to a vehicle work request.12. The insurance claim system of claim 9, wherein the vehicle insuranceclaim management application in communication with the insurance companydata server and the vehicle repair estimating system causes theinsurance claim system further to: store and provide a performancemetric for the vehicle repair shop as compared to other vehicle repairshops.
 13. The insurance claim system of claim 9, wherein the insurancecompany data server is coupled to a web server through which usersinteract with the vehicle insurance claim management application and theinsurance claim system.
 14. The insurance claim system of claim 13,wherein the web server includes a claim processing system used to storethe first assignment data and the second assignment data for furtherprocessing.
 15. An insurance claim system comprising: an insurancecompany data server comprising at least one computer processor and auser interface and coupled to a network, wherein the user interfaceincludes an assignment user interface and an authentication userinterface to enable the customer to enter a user name and a password; avehicle repair estimating system having at least one computer processorand interconnected with the insurance company data server via thenetwork, the vehicle repair estimating system creates a repair estimate,wherein the repair estimate includes a set of estimate data and an imageof the corresponding loss and damage of the vehicle; a vehicle insuranceclaim management application operating on the insurance company dataserver and the vehicle repair estimating system, wherein the vehicleinsurance claim management application provides interoperability betweenthe insurance company data server and the vehicle repair estimatingsystem by executing a specific sequence of steps with the insurancecompany data server and the vehicle repair estimating system that causesthe insurance claim system to: receive assignment data from theinsurance company data server via the assignment user interface, whereinthe assignment data includes information about a customer, acorresponding vehicle, and a corresponding loss with the vehicle;translate the assignment data into a format accepted by the vehicleinsurance claim management application; encrypt the assignment data;transfer the translated and encrypted assignment data to the vehiclerepair estimating system; receive the estimate data and the image fromthe vehicle repair estimating system, wherein the estimate data and theimage includes information about a repair estimate for the loss of thevehicle, wherein the repair estimate is uploaded from the vehicle repairestimating system to the vehicle insurance claim management application;translate the estimate data and the image into a format accepted by thevehicle insurance claim management application; encrypt the estimatedata and the image; analyze and audit the estimate data for compliancewith contract-based conditions; based on the translation and the reviewof the set of estimate data, transfer and communicate the translated andencrypted estimate data and the image to the insurance company dataserver; receive reinspection data from the insurance company dataserver; review the reinspection data; update and change the estimatedata based on the reinspection data; provide real-time updates betweenthe vehicle insurance claim management application and the vehiclerepair estimating system when one or more of the assignment data or theestimate data changes; and transmit and communicate, over the Internetto the vehicle insurance claim management application and displayed onthe user interface, the real-time updates of changes to one or more ofthe assignment data or the estimate data; and a web server coupled toand in communication with the insurance company data server throughwhich users interact with the vehicle insurance claim managementapplication and the insurance claim system.
 16. The insurance claimsystem of claim 15, wherein the vehicle insurance claim managementapplication in communication with the insurance company data server andthe vehicle repair estimating system causes the insurance claim systemfurther to: receive second assignment data from the insurance companydata server via the assignment user interface, wherein the secondassignment data includes information about a second customer, acorresponding second vehicle, and a corresponding second loss with thesecond vehicle; translate the second assignment data into a formataccepted by the vehicle insurance claim management application; encryptthe second assignment data; transfer the translated and encrypted secondassignment data to the vehicle repair estimating system; receive secondestimate data and a second image of the corresponding second loss anddamage of the second vehicle from the vehicle repair estimating system,wherein the second estimate data and the second image includesinformation about a second repair estimate for the second loss of thesecond vehicle, wherein the second repair estimate is uploaded from thevehicle repair estimating system to the vehicle insurance claimmanagement application; translate the second estimate data and secondimage into a format accepted by the vehicle insurance claim managementapplication; and encrypt the second estimate data and second image. 17.The insurance claim system of claim 15, wherein the web server includesa claim processing system used to store the assignment data for furtherprocessing.
 18. The insurance claim system of claim 15, wherein thevehicle insurance claim management application in communication with theinsurance company data server and the vehicle repair estimating systemcauses the insurance claim system further to: provide a timelineindicating a plurality of milestone dates corresponding to a vehiclework request.
 19. The insurance claim system of claim 15, wherein thevehicle insurance claim management application in communication with theinsurance company data server and the vehicle repair estimating systemcauses the insurance claim system further to: provide an interactivecalendar through which the vehicle repair shop schedules repair of avehicle corresponding to a vehicle work request.
 20. The insurance claimsystem of claim 15, wherein the vehicle insurance claim managementapplication in communication with the insurance company data server andthe vehicle repair estimating system causes the insurance claim systemfurther to: store and provide a performance metric for the vehiclerepair shop as compared to other vehicle repair shops, wherein theperformance metric includes a tier level and a ranking.